Times Like These
by xXBalorBabeXx
Summary: "We survive this by pulling together, not apart!" Those words would haunt Harper for the rest of her life but she had a feeling her dad was somewhere. (Set in the six year time break during What Comes After, co-written with werewolf-queen-022)


_**Harper's perspective…**_

" _The bridge, get to the bridge!" I hear Michonne yell in the distance as I ran towards the group… only for Daryl to stop me and drag me away from the bridge to a distance across from it._

" _Daryl, what are you doing?! Let go!" I yelled as I tried to get free._

" _That bridge has explosives on it!" Daryl responded as we shot at the walkers with our crossbows._

" _Explosives?! Who the hell puts explosives on a bridge?!" I replied before we heard the explosion and turned to the burning bridge in horror._

" _No!" I yelled as I tried to run towards the only man who's ever been a dad to me but Daryl stopped me and turned me to him._

" _He's gone." Daryl responded as tears ran down our faces… and I remember seeing a crate of explosives near Amber's home in the Hilltop._

" _Did Amber leave the explosives on the bridge?" I asked._

" _Yes it was her." Daryl admitted._

" _Why? Why?! Tell me, damn it!" I replied angrily._

" _Harper, it's not what you're thinking-" Daryl responded before I shove him away._

" _I lost my father, my mother, my brother… you just had to bring her and Eugene back, didn't you? I lost my dad because of her, you son of a bitch!" I replied, yelling the last part before leaving Daryl behind._

" _Harper!" Daryl shouted, following after me._

 _I manage to lose him in the forest but then I hear Amber running after me and she stops me, turning me around._

" _Harper... goddamn it, don't run so fast!" Amber said._

" _My dad is gone… he's gone because you left the explosives on the bridge!" I replied angrily._

" _Harper, we're gonna find him-" Amber explained._

" _No, I'm gonna find him… I did it before, I can do it again." I responded before I took off again._

" _I was meant to be on that bridge, not him!" Amber yelled._

 _But I just block out the yelling and continue on… until I slip off an embankment and hear Amber yelling as I fall and hit my head._

" _Daryl!" Amber yelled before they both climb down the embankment, Daryl holding my neck still as I look at them through half open eyes… and me turning my head, hearing and seeing the helicopter in the distance._

 _All I want is to find my dad…_

I slowly open my eyes, seeing Daryl and finding myself in a bed.

"Helicopter…" I responded quietly, Daryl looking at me.

"You were chasing a hallucination, it happens." Daryl replied.

"I saw it!" I responded forcefully as Amber walked in, Daryl turning to her.

"Harper there was no helicopter." Amber said.

"I saw it… I heard it. Just like that time in Atlanta." I responded as I try to sit up, Daryl gently stopping me as Maggie walked in.

"Maggie, can you stay with her?" Daryl asked before he and Amber leave, Maggie sitting down.

"What about a helicopter?" Maggie asked.

"I think they're friends of Anne… or Jadis or whatever her name is. But I know I wasn't chasing a hallucination, it was real." I explained, Maggie lightly rubbing my right shoulder, before we heard Amber and Daryl yelling at each other.

"Rick was the only father Harper had!" Daryl shouted.

"For fuck sake Daryl he's wasn't meant to be the one on that bridge! I was meant to be the there and now I'll be forever known as the bitch that got Rick killed!" Amber yelled.

I grab at my head as it started to ache badly again, Maggie holding me.

"If you really want me gone, fine that can be arranged! I'll pack my shit and leave!" Amber yelled before her footsteps fade away.

"Shh, it's over. It's over." Maggie whispered before we look at each other.

"Where's Judith?" I asked, wanting to see my baby sister.

"She's with Hershel and Gracie right now, all three are with Aaron." Maggie explained before we see Daryl, who sits down and lightly kisses me on my bandaged head.

"I want to go see the kids." I responded.

"You rest first, kiddo." Daryl responded before he and Maggie help me lie down on my side and I close my eyes.

 _ **Daryl's Perspective…**_

"Why was Amber trying to kill herself?" Maggie asked quietly as I brushed Harper's red hair back.

"I didn't even know about her plan on using explosives on a herd, that's probably why she didn't tell me. She would have known that I would have stopped her." I said.

"We all just wanted to build a safe place." Maggie responded before she went to go check on the kids.

Harper has lost so much in her life… Evie, Merle, Lori, Carl… and now Rick.

"Why would Amber want to kill herself?" I muttered.

 _ **Amber's perspective…**_

Yanking the hoodie over my head and pulling the bandana over my nose and mouth, I was set to leave. I took of the wedding ring and put it in the middle of the bed before putting on the black gloves.

I shouldn't have told Rick about my plans, if I didn't tell him, I would have been the dead one.

" _Amber! You can't be serious!" Rick responded._

" _Rick if those two herds merge with each and cross that bridge we might as well be sitting ducks. I have to take both the herd and bridge out in one go." I replied._

" _But you wouldn't survive." Rick said._

" _I'm willing to make the ultimate sacrifice to save everyone. One life compared to heaps of others, not a hard choice for me." I explained._

I snap out of the memory when I hear the door open.

"I'm not interested in anything you say, you made it pretty damn clear you want me gone." I responded, thinking it was Daryl.

"Amber stop, don't leave." Jesus replied.

"Oh you, I thought you were Daryl and don't even think about stopping me." I growled before picking up the duffle bag.

"Amber it's too dangerous for someone to be living out there anymore. Stay here at the community where it's safe." Jesus responded.

"I know how to survive I've done it on my own for a long time." I replied.

"Times have changed." Jesus explained.

"Yeah I know that but I rather take my chances out there, alone... better than to live here with people whispering about me or giving me dirty looks." I said before picking up my crossbow and tying my hunting knife to my jeans. "Now move or I'll move you!" I growled.

"You are so stubborn." Jesus replied before he moved to the side.

"Wrong I'm basically a murderer." I said before leaving. As I step outside I looked around and seen people were stopping and starting at me. I shake the feeling of them watching me off and head down towards the gates.

"Open the gates!" I said once I reached them and the gates slowly opened. I take a look back to see Daryl and Maggie watching me.

I glare at them before walking out of gates... one last time.


End file.
